The Portland daily press., 1887-12-05

The unanimous nomination of MIR. Reed
as the Republican candidate for Speaker of
the House of Representatives is far from
an empty honor, notwithstanding the
certainty that he will not occupy the Speak
er's chair 1t is an official recognition of
Mr.. Reed as the leader of the minority,
minority scarcely inferior in point of num-
bers to the majority and probably superior
to it in point of ability. This honor has
fallen to Mr.. Reed simply because his intel
lectual power, his readiness in debate, his
fertility of resource, his tact, his sound
Judgment, and his long experience and
sterling Republicanism indicate him as the
man who above all others among the Repub-
licans of the House deserves to wear it, 1t
is distinction that has been won by brains.
Secretary Lamar is endeavoring to explain
that, whereas he was once disloyal-or as he
might prefer to state it, in secession-he is
now loyal enough to become justice OF the
Supreme Court. The occasion Of this expla
nation was the reproduction of passage
from Mr. Lamar's speech delivered in the
Senate in reply to Mr. Sherman in 1885, in
which the southern senator declared: I'VE
of the South have surrendered upon all
questions which divided the two sides in
that controversy. We have given up the
right of the people to secede from this union;
we have given up the right of each State to
Judge for itself the infractions Of the Con-
stitution and the mode of redress; we have
given up the right to control our domestic in
stitutions. We fought for all these, and we
lost in that controversy; but no man shall,in
my presence, call Jefferson Davis a traitor
without my responding with stern and EN-
phatic denial" The people of the nation
may Judge whether they want man on the
Supreme Bench who believes that the South
ern theory of the Constitution was right,
aud now acQniesces in the theory which has
prevailed only because he is obliged to.
AS the hour of the meeting of Congress
draws nigh, IL becomes more apparent thai
there is a feeling on all sides that the great
and burning question of the session viii be
the reduction of the surplus. All parties
and factions are thoroughly convinced that
the revenues of the government must be acut
down by some S70,oo,OC0. But when the
question of method is approached this unan-
imi ty disappears. The Carlisle Democrats
have their plan, the Randall Democrats
theirs ami even among the Republicans there
is By no means unanimity of opinion as to
the best method Of reducing the revenues.
In general it may be said that the Republi-
cans favor plan Of reduction that will get
rid of the surplus revenue without an as
sault ON the protective system, while the Car
Isle Democrats discern in the surplus ques-
tlon an opportunity to carry some of the
outworks of the protective system and are
disposed to avail themselves of it If they see
their way clear to do so without detriment to
the chances of the Democracy in the next
Presidential election. The proximity Of a
national campaign has undoubtedly increas-
ed their caution and made them more tol-
Grant of Mr.. Randall and his minority.
Signs are abundant that for the sake of har-
mony they are willing to abate something
from their demands, but whether they will
60 far enough to conciliate Mr.. Randall re-
mains to be seen. The Presidents message
will probably give some indication of how
gently the Carlisle men are willing to roar,fo
the President is warm sympathizer with
the Carlisle wing, and the Speaker has no
doubt been consulted as to the tariff utter
auees of the message.